Storage solutions for tiny houses

[Spudlet]

Our house is tiny and there is stuff everywhere. I need help! Anyone know any good websites to get storage ideas? Please....?

--------

Looking for advice on keeping things organised or making the most of a small space? Check out our round-up of Mumsnetters’ life-changing storage boxes, space-saving tips, and decluttering hacks. MNHQ.

Can you fit any ikea kallax in? If you got the massive 16 square one, you could keep some shelves free for books, photo frames, some with double draws in for storing keys, pens, laptops etc, some with baskets in for gloves and scarves etc. Lots of different uses in the same unit.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/shelving-units-systems/kallax-shelving-unit-white-art-30275861/

IKEA recommendation also.. Trones. Great for storage.

Also the shoe storage units are really slim and you can put two or three together in a hallway

I recommend ikea too. I always vowed never to go down that route but now living in a tiny house it's still must.

We have the 25 kallax which fits loads in. We also have a clever shoe storage solution and bed with clever storage amongst other things. We're actually about to buy some more storage from ikea.

My advice is to think carefully about your problem areas and then browse through the relevant areas of their website. Also if you're torn between two pieces but prefer the more expensive (but feel that you should go cheaper), then (if you can afford it) go for the expensive one. I know in general I certainly try to cut costs but honestly a good piece of ikea furniture is an investment.

If you can afford it, built in storage is a godsend. Get a good carpenter.

Also, declutter... ruthlessly.

Thank you, I've done an ikea order today although we're starting small. I've also got dh enthused for building some shelves into the alcoves on either side of the fireplace which will allow the armchair to sit under them and free up floor space - we have a little to so one of the shelves will he sized to fit that and we're going to ditch the cheap and nasty tv stand. We're going to reorganise the utility room and get a ceiling mounted airer as there's currently nowhere to dry the washing in winter.

I don't think we could fit a Kallax in sadly , and we don't have a hall (front door comes straight into the living room) so there's nowhere for a shoe cabinet either. Our living room is 16'x11' and an odd shape to boot, and the kitchen is a bit smaller yet. The utility room is 6'4"x4'10". It's really teeny weeny in here! We're not helped by having no useable loft at the moment, and the garage isn't great either. I'll try and do a rough floor plan... hang on!

Oh great. Apartment in Japan would give some ideas. Or pinterest. Bookcase above door frame was one I saw

So this is my living room - not to scale! - as it stands.

My idea is remove the bookshelf behind the chair and replace with built in shelves which allow the armchair to be pushed further back - at the moment the bottom three tiers of the bookcase are useless anyway. More shelves in the alcove on the other side, starting at a height which allows the toy and log baskets to slide underneath. The bookshelf we move could potentially sit where the toy basket currently is, giving us more storage. Or it might go into the kitchen, or it might just go.

Then in the kitchen, we are adding a hanging rail with storage pots from Ikea and magnetic knife strip to free up worktop space, and putting up a robust shelf for cookery books.

We also have some new coat hooks on order to make better use of the back hallway, and stacking bins so the recycling, waste and dog food can be stored more efficiently.

I feel this is a good start! Will definitely look at Apartment in Japan, I think that's the sort of thing I need.

Before you buy more storage, have a sort through and discard anything that doesn't 'spark joy'.
You might find you don't actually need more storage, just less 'stuff'.

OP, my living room is very similar to yours.
We recently did ceiling height built in bookshelves either side of the fire place with log and toy storage underneath as you suggest. I am really pleased with it.

We have floated our sofa like you but we put in a simple end table with a shelf at the door end of the sofa. In front of the sofa we have a small coffee table. My dad made it from an Ana White woodworking plan we found online. It has a shelf underneath with baskets but best part is the hidden storage under the table top that hold board games and all manner of junk.

On the wall behind the sofa we put in two IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinets with a large mirror above. The mirror makes the room feel bigger and with the addition of a few coat hooks behind the door and a runner we have managed to create a clutter-free mini hallway.

IKEA has a lot of really slim storage solutions that could work in that space behind your sofa. We have the pull out shoe cabinet and use it for everything from shoes, hats and gloves, sunscreen etc, to chargers, cables and all those little bits and pieces that need a home. They also have slim cabinets with flat shelves that can be stack or go side by side to maximise storage. Check out their Besta, Mackapar and Eket lines, they are all really clean and simple and don't scream IKEA like the ubiquitous Kallax.

I have found that in such a small space have doors on cabinets and bookshelves and baskets on open shelving really helps declutter.

My house is tiny and it can be really challenging to make it work for everyday family life but IKEA is a godsend and if you chose wisely, it can look great.

Thank you, I foresee many Ikea trips.... dh has never been so it will be a rite of passage for him

I do want to do more decluttering but to be honest we've already pared back a fair bit, I feel. We're just not making the most efficient use of the space we have available to us. We can definitely do better - simple things like hooks so we can hang up the mop and brush for the floor will make a big difference because it means we won't be falling over them every five minutes.

trofast is ugly as sin BUT has an absolutely tiny footprint for the storage you get - much smaller than Kallax for example.

If you're staying put, get a joiner to do some shelving. we paid about £150 for 8 shelves recessed into the alcoves by the fireplace. and yy to proper, ruthless decluttering. we more than halved the number of books we keep at home in order to get rid of a bookcase in the sitting room, which has really made a difference in terms of home spacious it feels.

Hooks everywhere! For kids' backpacks, for cleaning things, all sorts. You can get one really nice ones on Etsy.
Here is a link to my house Pinterest board. If you can ignore all my aspirational "if I had a million dollars pretty things I'd buy" pins, there are quite a lot of small space ideas.
pin.it/v_j3VB_

Also shelves above doors, and think of inventive places things can live. What can slide under the bed? Was very pleased with myself when I realised my stepladder can fit under my kitchen cupboard kickboards... extra shelves in cupboards (if that helps). Things on hooks like PPs said, I have mop, broom etc on hooks in cupboard so off the floor.

Am following you, Kahu 🙂

We're lucky that DFiL, one of DHs uncles and one of my uncles are all very skilled woodworkers so we should be able to get the shelves done easily. We're going to have at least one with a slanting edge, so that it is flush wi the chimney breast on one end but wider at the other, so we can stand the tv and things on there. I may get dh to look into the possibility of digitising all our dvds as well - he's already done so with all our cds. I can't bear to discard books but we currently have 2.5 shelves of dvds which aren't the most attractive things to look at, frankly. Then I could put storage baskets onto the bottom shelves of the bookcase by the front door for shoes (I already have one on there for DS's coats and hats and things).

We have a small house with no built in storage, we've put up shelves, bought a bed with underbed storage from Ikea.
Coat hooks next to door, got bookcases & now hunting shoe storage.

I've picked up storage boxes to put in little things in living room such as DS's toys, nappy area & some books.

I find a place for everything so either buy storage/shelf or it goes.

Ikea/Pinterest & buzzfeed are great for storage ideas.

Look at apartment therapy, it started as a website for small house design solutions.

An ottoman bed eats up tons of stuff- I've just moved from a tiny flat with no loft or garage, and the ottoman bed held all sorts- dismantled cot between kids, clothing to grow in and out of, spare bedding, air mattress, tons of shoes, Xmas stuff...
Also anything you can put a door on, do it! Side of the bath, any little alcoves, kitchen kickboards for drawers- or for posting in dustpan and brush etc. And yes yes to hanging things behind doors, on the inside of cupboard doors, (ironing board on the inside of the wardrobe door e.g.)
We had bookshelves right around the top of the living room and hallway as well as either side of the fireplace.

I'm feeling quite inspired by all this - dh is charging the drill and making distressed noises about the potential Ikea trips he may have to endure.

We already have underbed storage, now I'm thinking of getting a small Kallax unit for the kitchen wall, another for the bathroom because then the towels can come out of the airing cupboard once they're dry and the spare pillows etc can go in, and something along the lines of a Billy bookcase to be mounted horizontally at the top of our bedroom wall. And many shelves over doors. And anywhere else I can instruct dh to stick one up. A whole new era of spaciousness and efficient storage beckons!

Sounds like you have heaps of great ideas already, OP. If you can't be bothered digitising dvds, I can recommend a DVD wallet. You can get them to store hundreds of dvds, then you can lose the cases. Our shelves and shelves of ugly plastic cases has been reduced to a couple-of-inch thick wallet that lives in a drawer.

Looking at your diagram, could you have your tv mounted on the wall above the fireplace? Also some strategically placed mirrors make the rooms look bigger.

I've got a tiny kitchen so bought a drop leaf table from an independent who makes to order (cheap but still solid wood).

John Lewis have some lovely extra tall open bookcases that lean against the wall and are great for books/displaying photos etc if you can fit one in m.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-colosseum-narrow-bookcase-fsc-certified/p/592427

Also checkout the storage cubes and benches that can double up as seating in you living room or bedroom, again John Lewis have lovely ones at good prices imo.

If you want a ceiling airer, I have this one and I love it. It ain't pretty but it's really useful Clothes Ceiling Pulley Airer, Dryer, Drying Rack, 6m of Drying Space set of 5 Rods / 120CM (47") www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RI3WIT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NH4Izb6G14A0N?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Shelves over doorways is a good storage idea. It's often wasted space and handy for light linen, pots and so on

Try a Pinterest search and ikeahackers.net

Searching Reddit is also good

Get some vacuum storage bags for storing seasonal clothes, duvets, pillows. Lakeland ones are very good and don't spontaneously burst open. They're often on buy one get one half price offer.

I've found it's better 2 use 2 medium sized ones e.g. Rather than one big one.